discussion Help Fleshing Out Background Details?

[Tomasu]

Hi. I'm still fairly new, and started putting together a background for my character. I still need to see what outfits I can get for him, but so far I've had some fun with him in a few encounters here and there. My problem is my lack of knowledge on the lore and what is/isn't okay despite some researching the past weeks. So, any comments/suggestions? The character seems a bit lack luster to me so far.

 

Name: Tomasu Kusakiri

Race: Raen Au Ra

Profession: Wanderering Blade/Adventurer

Interests: Gardening, Wandering, Philosophy

 

Background: Tomasu Kusakiri is a refugee of Doma, brought across by the ships leaving that area after the Garlean desecration of their homeland. Born in Doma, the man grew up with a loving family who's fate escapes him to this day.

 

Growing up, he was like much other children and an active if inquisitive life that lead him to learning the ways of the sword and spear under his parents to help him better face the dangers of the world. Despite their attempts to discipline him, none of the lessons really took root at that early stage of his life. He seemed more wild than anything with his skills, and often could be found playing in the woods around his home village.

 

Once he reached roughly his teenage years, Tomasu was still pretty wild. Still working in the woods with other youths to hunt, track, and otherwise make a living. He would help as much as he could around the house while his father or mother were away at their small merchant stand or playing security for other merchants.

 

During his teenage years, the Garlean destruction of Doma happened. One of the refugees, Tomasu was separated from his family. Forced aboard a ship despite being armed, he sought to help out the other refugees as much as he could while doing his best to not break down. It wasn't until the ship landed and he heard of their move to Mor Dhona that he decided to help by striking out on his own.

 

It took many months and a couple of encounters with Garlean scout squads from near Mor Dhona before he struck out on his own. By then, he had decided his vengeance was at least mostly satisfied and decided to do something that he would rather have done with his parents' leave, wherever they were now. Explore the world and find some place for him to call home.

 

It was this exploring that lead him to Gridania and attempting to settle there. Staying in Quarrymill, he went through the judgement of the Elementals and was found acceptable. The oddity of being judged by the Elementals sits with him to this day and he respects the Twelveswood for it being as close to the Doman's religion as it may come to be in Eorzea. Wandering the forests, he frequently wanted to Limisa Lominsa, Mor Dhona, and Ul'dah via airship or aethyrite to ask for news on his parents and still does so to this day. He has settled into the wandering life and enjoys it despite one day dreaming of finding a home for himself somewhere in Eorzea, if not one day returning to Doma or Ala Mhigo to help against the occupation there.

 

EDIT: Rewrote the background on 3/29/2017 since there was a ton of lore I didn't know that responders to the initial background helped with.

[Aya]

Hiiii! Welcome to the RPC!

 

I am assuming by Gardenia you were referring to Gridiana? The Eorzean city-state located in the Black Shroud? Or were you creating your own village setting named Gardenia (which should be fine, but some more background on the intended context would be helpful )?

 

The basic idea sounds great, but I did have a few questions.

 

I'm not aware of the Garleans hiring bandits to scout for them (though I am far from an expert!). They do use auxiliaries, but those would be, say, Ala Mhigan scouts and they would be unlikely to go around burning villages as part of a scouting mission. That part really doesn't quite hold together for me: was this intended to be very recently? Given the... circumstances (since we are still covered under spoiler rules) it would not be hard to imagine a Garlean punitive raid being the cause.

 

I'm also curious about the character's psychology, he came from far away and then was settled by two loving adoptive parents who have become the most important things in his like, is he not interested in their culture? Maybe its just me but the focus on the culture of his homeland (such as burying his adoptive parents in a tradition that would be alien to them) seems a little off. Sort of a rejection of the adoption. Not that such a thing would be implausible, it just didn't seem intended. If you originally meant Gridania is where he settled, that also means that the Elementals have accepted him as a citizen of the Shroud through the Hearers. That's something, and its something that would probably mean quite a bit to him. Its part of what makes Gridania a potentially interesting adoptive home for him.

 

Lastly, I'm just gong to mention my very generic "why-are-everyone's-parents-dead" bit. I understand that it makes characters more free to pursue whatever ends they desire without responsibility, and also creates the potential for a tragic-past, but I think you should give a touch of thought, at least, to the possibility that his adoptive parents could still be alive and an active thought in the back of his mind as he goes about discovering himself, exploring Eorzea, and with the new expansion, returning home. And what that might add to or detract from the story

[Tomasu]

Hiiii! Welcome to the RPC!

 

I am assuming by Gardenia you were referring to Gridiana?  The Eorzean city-state located in the Black Shroud?  Or were you creating your own village setting named Gardenia (which should be fine, but some more background on the intended context would be helpful )?

 

The basic idea sounds great, but I did have a few questions.

 

I'm not aware of the Garleans hiring bandits to scout for them (though I am far from an expert!).  They do use auxiliaries, but those would be, say, Ala Mhigan scouts and they would be unlikely to go around burning villages as part of a scouting mission.  That part really doesn't quite hold together for me: was this intended to be very recently?  Given the... circumstances (since we are still covered under spoiler rules) it would not be hard to imagine a Garlean punitive raid being the cause.

 

I'm also curious about the character's psychology, he came from far away and then was settled by two loving adoptive parents who have become the most important things in his like, is he not interested in their culture?  Maybe its just me but the focus on the culture of his homeland (such as burying his adoptive parents in a tradition that would be alien to them) seems a little off.  Sort of a rejection of the adoption.  Not that such a thing would be implausible, it just didn't seem intended.  If you originally meant Gridania is where he settled, that also means that the Elementals have accepted him as a citizen of the Shroud through the Hearers.  That's something, and its something that would probably mean quite a bit to him.  Its part of what makes Gridania a potentially interesting adoptive home for him.

 

Lastly, I'm just gong to mention my very generic "why-are-everyone's-parents-dead" bit.  I understand that it makes characters more free to pursue whatever ends they desire without responsibility, and also creates the potential for a tragic-past, but I think you should give a touch of thought, at least, to the possibility that his adoptive parents could still be alive and an active thought in the back of his mind as he goes about discovering himself, exploring Eorzea, and with the new expansion, returning home.  And what that might add to or detract from the story

 

Thanks for the input. Gridania is what I meant. Could you specify more on the Elementals accepting him? I've not delved deeply into the Conjurer's back story, nor those of the Archer if the Elementals have meaning there.

 

I'm open to his adoptive parents being alive. I didn't realize there seemed to be so many going with that sort of back story. It just seemed fitting for the whole "wandering" archetype I was aiming for as far as his tendencies. The rejection of his adoptive culture was not intended, but I had intended them to be fellow auri. I realize I didn't specify what races they were at all there.

 

I already editted it to correct my city naming mistake. Not sure how I got that wrong considering I've spent a considerable amount of game time there. I'm just waiting clarification on the Elementals idea to see what that might entail and how much trouble that might be.

[Sounsyy]

Background: Tomasu is a war orphan from the Doman exodus to Eorzea. Raised by adoptive parents who took him in, he treated them as his real parents throughout his young life. Over the course of his formative years, he was taught to fight by his adoptive father and mother both.

 

One point I want to bring up here is a slight timeline incongruity, though it has a fairly easy fix. The noted Doman exodus following the razing of their city only occurred roughly one year ago. So using that specific event as the catalyst for your character coming to Eorzea would result in a much more recent arrival. The easy fix is that Garlemald conquered Doma initially in the Year 1552, which was twenty-five years ago. Your character's parents could've smuggled him off the continent around that time, either surviving and coming with him to Gridania or dying on the two month journey it takes by boat, leaving him an orphan to be adopted by Gridanian parents.

 

Something to be aware of though, is that the Au Ra are very rarely found in Eorzea prior to the razing of Doma a year ago. A handful of small Xaela tribes have made the journey before in years past, but were all wiped out shortly after arriving. Raen have no record of arriving prior to this past event. That said, there has been steady trade between Eorzea and the Far East, mainly in Limsa Lominsa, but Keeper of the Moon trappers and freebooters have also been known to trade illegally obtained pelts to Far Easterners.

 

Though poaching is one of the most severe crimes in the Twelveswood' date=' often punishable by death, there is no end to the constant flow of those who come to the sacred forest in search of exotic pelts and horns to sell to dubious traders from the Far East. The sheer number of the criminals is forcing the Gods' Quiver to allocate far more men and women than they can spare, and so to lighten their load, they seek able-bodied adventurers to assist in patrolling at least six areas near Treespeak and dealing "swift justice" to any of these forsaken hunters that can be found.[/quote']

 

I bring up this point because in your second post you say that his adoptive parents in Gridania would also be Au Ra, and this is something that would be highly irregular for Gridania during this time period. Gridania was a highly xenophobic and isolationist state until the Year 1572, before the Calamity five years ago where the Umbral Era and the Garlean threat forced them to seek allies with the other city-states. I'll talk more about this particular point in the elemental section below.

 

Anyways, here's a few blurbs and links to additional lore information you might find helpful! ^^

 

1528 (49 y/a) - The Garlean Empire begins its invasion into Othard, attacking Rabanastre and Bozja.

c.1530 - The Othardian nations summon an unknown primal to stall the Garlean advance.

1552 (25 y/a) - The Garleans seize Doma, crushing the last resisting nation in the Far East.

1553 (24 y/a) - With the remaining lands of Othard quickly being annexed, Garlemald turns its attention towards Eorzea and begins attacking Ala Mhigo.

1557 (20 y/a) - Ala Mhigo finally falls after Garlean infiltrators incite civil war in the city-state.

1562 (15 y/a) - After amassing their forces in Ala Mhigo, Garlemald pushes south into Eorzea, seeking to lay claim to Silvertear Lake in Mor Dhona, but are thwarted by Midgardsormr and the Dravanians he calls to war. This singular event, later known as the Battle of Silvertear Skies, is the catalyst for almost every major world event to follow.

1562 cont. - In the massive explosion of aether from Silvertear, the first primals are summoned from the fears of the Beast tribes. From then on, the tribes learn to summon these primals repeatedly against their enemies.

1562 cont. - Garlemald, utterly crushed, retreats to Ala Mhigo and begins construction on Baelsar's Wall to keep the beast tribes and their "eikons" at bay.

1562 cont. - Seeking a method to defeat Eorzea's primals, the Emperor gives the okay for the Midas nan Garlond's and Nael van Darnus's "Meteor Project," seeking to use the power of Dalamud as a weapon against Eorzea. Their first test site is Bozja, the largest commercial hub in Othard.

1562 cont. - Dalamud awakens and a beam of energy evaporates the entire city of Bozja, desolating the entire region. Garlemald attempts to coverup this "Bozja Incident" but it is impossible. Fear spreads throughout Othard. Nael van Darnus takes her failure out on the Othardians, worsening conditions there. The first whispers of resistance begin.

1572 (5 y/a) - Nael van Darnus and her VIIth Legion leave the Far East and occupy Ala Mhigo, driving the slaves there to redouble their military efforts. The VIIth and XIVth Legions harry the city-states, cutting off trade routes in and out of Eorzea and shooting down airships over Eorzean skies. Trade between the Far East and Eorzea begins to dwindle.

1572 cont. - The second incarnation of the Meteor Project comes to fruition in the recently Garlean occupied Mor Dhona. Dalamud descends upon Eorzea. The XIVth Legion retreats to Ala Mhigo to crush Ala Mhigan resistance there. The VIIth Legion entrenches itself in Mor Dhona, sending out cohorts to attack the city-states.

1572 cont. - The Calamity and the start of the 7th Umbral Era. The calendar Year resets to Year 1. For the next 5 years, the XIVth Legion pushes into Eorzea, creating castrums to prepare for another round of invasion. However, all further aggression halts as Garlean Emperor Solus zos Galvus's health sharply declines.

0005 7th Umbral Era (~1 y/a) - Operation Archon. The Eorzean Alliance pushes back in a unified assault on all Garlean castrums, rooting any planned Imperial advance. Gaius van Baelsar, legatus of the XIVth Legion is slain. The empire quickly sends reinforcements to the Eorzean castrums to hold their position.

0001 7th Astral Era (~1 y/a) - Solus zos Galvus passes. A War of Succession breaks out between the Emperor's youngest son and the Emperor's grandson. During this War of Succession, the resistance in Doma rebels, taking back several cities and towns from the Garleans.

0001 cont. - The War of Succession ends abruptly with the grandson, Varis zos Galvus, taking control over his uncle. Varis tightens his grip on the East, the Doman rebellion is put down, its capitol is razed, and anyone captured associated with the rebellion is publicly executed alongside their families as an example to Othard's other peoples.

0001 cont. - Yugiri and any surviving Doman refugees sail to the nation of Hingashi (and its cities Kugane and Bukyo) seeking asylum. Hingashi refuses them. The refugees sail to Thavnair. They are also refused there. Yugiri then turns towards Eorzea, sailing for two months to reach Vesper, whereupon Ul'dah also refuses them aid. The Doman refugees finally settle in a border town in Mor Dhona called Revenant's Toll.

 

 

-Doma Lore Compilation

-Race Lore Compilation (Au Ra)

 

 

___________________________

However, a few summers before his adulthood and joining in the mercenary work, tragedy struck as bandits raided his home. No longer having a home to go back to, he found out later that the bandits were associated with the Garleans as some sort of scouting force. Hearing from others like him how the Garleans were responsible for their ancestral home land being razed only inspired Tomasu more to hate them.

I'm not aware of the Garleans hiring bandits to scout for them (though I am far from an expert!).

 

This is actually something that the Garleans did do! While Nael van Darnus's VIIth Legion was quite adamant on pushing hard against Eorzean territories and sending raiding parties deep into enemy lines, where they could not push, they hired bandits and Eorzean mercenaries to do the work for them. One particular case was with Ul'dah and the sultanate trade lines along the Allagan Sunway towards Gridania. The Garleans couldn't hold a blockade between Ul'dah and Gridania on their own, so they hired a faction of sellswords called the Hellhounds to do it for them.

 

A unit carrying arms and munitions from near Ala Mhigo has come under attack. It would appear that the Garleans have blockaded the trade route. That route is Ul'dah's lifeline to the East, and carries the bulk of our trade. If we lose it, it will cost the nation billions, and effectively neuter our military. Should it come to that, we would lack the strength to withstand a direct attack. We must break the Garlean blockade. We must! We have learned what we can of the imperials holding the road. They are known as the Hellhounds. According to our intelligence, they have taken up a position close to the Golden Bazaar.

 

These Hellhounds may march under the Empire's banner, but they are in truth no more than honorless sellswords, hired to harry our borders. The lawless fiends ran rampant under the protection of the imperial banner, pillaging and plundering. It was only when Lord Lolorito bribed the scoundrels that the safety of the road was restored. Unfortunately, that provided the Empire with an excuse to march on eastern Thanalan, ostensibly to put down their rogue Hellhounds.

 

 

___________________________

Could you specify more on the Elementals accepting him? I've not delved deeply into the Conjurer's back story, nor those of the Archer if the Elementals have meaning there.

 

Okay, this goes back (in part) to my earlier mention of Gridania's xenophobia and isolationism.

 

The Black Shroud, as it's known to outsiders, is home to a particular set of ancient elementals - spirits who inhabit every tree, rock, river, scrap of metal, etc. While elementals exist all over the world, from Meracydia to the Far East, it is only those within the Twelveswood that make themselves known to mankind. The elementals watch over the wood and maintain a strict rule over who is allowed to remain within and who poses a threat to the wood's wellbeing, the latter being forcibly removed by Gridania's bowmen if they are fortunate. The Gridanians believe that these elementals are pieces of Nophica's spirit and that their voices are the wishes of Nophica, the Matron. It took several hundred years for mankind to earn admittance into the Wood, so the Gridanians who live there now fiercely defend their borders to ensure no harm comes to the Wood under their watch and care, lest the elementals cast them out or swallow their city in their rage.

 

This pact (the Pact of Gelmorra) that the Gridanians and the elementals have is their root cause for loathing outsiders, who most often: 1) don't believe in the elementals and 2) because of this do not respect the Wood, which is dangerous not just to the unbelievers but to all who live within the Wood, as elementals do not readily distinguish between friend and foe. What Gridanians do know is that the elementals can sense feelings and emotions, which plays a part in their choosing of who will benefit the wood versus harm it. This is why many Ala Mhigan refugees, in particular, are unable to remain in the Wood, because their hearts are filled with vengeance and malice.

 

In perceiving the world around him' date=' man relies upon senses such as sight and sound. For the sake of convenience, he gives names to such things as are near or dear to him. Being formed of pure aether, however, such concepts are foreign to the elementals. Instead, they perceive by observing the ebb and flow of the energies of life. So profound a division cannot be bridged with simple discourse. The elementals' voices stir not the air, and thus reach not our ears, while our words are but wind to them. Though we seers can commune with them through feelings, naught that we can impart will serve to aid them in identifying her. Nay, they must needs be presented with aether which is akin to hers. If you could but find a family member...[/quote']

Very good. but be forewarned - the Twelveswood can be a fickle mistress. She demands respect. You must never cross her borders with malice or deception in your heart.

 

This is the belief of the outsider - that the forest exists to provide for him. That to take and not to give is the way of things. They break branch and bush for shelter, and forage carelessly to fill their bellies.

Sounsyy Mirke. Long have I watched thee. Through thine eyes have I gazed upon the children of the sixth sun. I am wrath incarnate. By my kindred's rage I am given life, by their keening roused to wakefulness. Even as I mourn the departure of light, I grieve the arrival of shadow. Gentle child of man. Thy heart knoweth no vice, thine intentions righteous. Yet thy strength knoweth no purpose but conflict. In conflict, there is naught but suffering.

 

Hark! The keening of my kind riseth to a crescendo! The new moon loometh nigh, and when it cometh, woods shall wither and seas shall roil. Pray forgive me, child of gentle heart, and fare thee well. When the end of days is come, I pray that thy soul shall know true peace.

 

This leads neatly into what Aya mentioned with the elementals accepting your character. Though I see no reason why you couldn't say that he is accepted, every person seeking to remain in the Twelveswood must be allowed to do so by the elementals and then cleansed of their woodsin. This is where having adoptive parents from Gridania would help, but also would likely limit them to being not Au Ra. Alternatively, your character and parents (if they survived) could all be transplants who've been accepted into Shroud life.

 

Coming to live in Gridania might actually be a good choice of relocation spots, as the Doman religion could be compared to elemental worship on its own. It might be strangely familiar to them.

 

My people do not worship your deities twelve. Our gods are all around us - in the trees' date=' in the soil, in the crashing waters before you. Close your eyes and open your heart to the sound of the rushing falls, that you might purge your mind of all worldly thoughts and distractions.[/quote']

 

We draw power from the world around us - the heaven' date=' the earth, the hearts of man - and channel this power into physical form. I am told that this is similar to your concept of [i']ay-ther[/i], was it?

 

-Versus-

 

Listen' date=' adventurer, to the rustling leaves, the flowing rivers- to the very pulse of this land. We conjurers of Stillglade Fane interpret these whispers of the elementals and convey them to the people of Gridania.[/quote']

 

Put your ear to the Twelveswood' date=' sister, and listen with all your being. Know - not fear - know that the elementals are there. And when you feel that it is they that comprise the life that flows through us all, you will begin to hear their whispers.[/quote']

 

 

Refugees must first spend a night here in Quarrymill that the elementals might judge them worthy of living in the Twelveswood. Their decision cannot be appealed. Every one of us' date=' Gridanians included, dwell here only by the elementals' leave.[/quote']

Quarrymill was named for the waterwheels that served to process raw stone into building material. Over the years' date=' it has come to be a gathering place for hunters and trappers, owing to its location amidst elemental-sanctioned hunting grounds. Quarrymill is also a place of judgement. All outsiders who wish to dwell in the Twelveswood must present themselves here to have their worthiness weighed by the elementals. Those whose petition is denied cannot remain in the wood, nor can they receive of its bounty. Harsh though it may seem, this has been the way of it since time immemorial.[/quote']

 

-Elemental Lore

-Woodsin Lore

 

 

 

Hope this helps! ^^

[Aya]

Hope this helps! ^^

 

Lore Lord Sounsyy to the rescue! :-D

[Tomasu]

Wow. Lots of lore and lots information to go by. Definitely going to be revamping in the next day or two once I find time to sit down and read it all.

[Tomasu]

Bumping the thread. Thank you guys very much for the help. How's the background look now? (And wow that was a lot of lore to go through!) I ended up rewriting the entire thing with all of the lore knowledge.

[Aya]

Bumping the thread. Thank you guys very much for the help. How's the background look now? (And wow that was a lot of lore to go through!) I ended up rewriting the entire thing with all of the lore knowledge.

 

I like it! Now I am curious what you're going to do with the fellow

 

Has he settled down a bit or is he still rather wild?

[Tomasu]

Bumping the thread. Thank you guys very much for the help. How's the background look now? (And wow that was a lot of lore to go through!) I ended up rewriting the entire thing with all of the lore knowledge.

 

I like it! Now I am curious what you're going to do with the fellow

 

Has he settled down a bit or is he still rather wild?

 

Still rather wild at times.